Hunter x Hunter: Unleashed

Hearing Auren’s humorous question about needing medical attention, the person does not hesitate to respond.

“Not quite,” the voice replies, revealing Illumi, without his disguise, standing in front of him.

“What did you talk about with Killua?” he follows up immediately.

“I might have mentioned a fatal flaw about him in his interview,” Auren replies. “The same things the chairman and I told you. Nothing more. It got him curious, so he asked me some questions.”

Emotionless, Illumi continues his questioning. “What flaw are you talking about? You must be joking. He is flawless.”

Auren laughs. “Hehe. Why are you asking me? You should know best, right? Flawless... I don’t think so. Not with his awkward behavior... you know, as if he was being controlled by a certain someone.”

“How did you find out?” Illumi asks, still calm, yet also a little taken aback, his voice just changing slightly.

“Because Killua, despite his strength, acts like a coward. Look at the way he traded away some of his tags in the last exam, despite only facing Hanzo. I thought he was bored and wanted to test himself out. In an exam where killing is forbidden, that would have been the perfect chance, especially since he stated he doesn’t want to pass. Yet he shrank back in fear like a coward. I also noticed a few other things, especially when I tested him myself in Trick Tower. Obviously, you are manipulating him to some degree,” Auren concludes.

“That is true...” Illumi confirms. “It’s a family issue. But he isn’t a coward; that much I can guarantee.”

“Yeah, I figured,” Auren says. “You and your brother are quite alike. You also can’t talk to me alone and need a friend nearby to boost your motivation, right?”

“What do you mean? ... Huh?” Illumi asks, before his eyes widen and he turns around.

He glares behind the cupboard, and a soft, yet creepy laugh echoes from behind it.

“He... hehe. Without your En... you still managed to sense me somehow ❤️. That is impressive ♠️. I wonder how you managed to do it....”

“Because your presence sticks out like a sore thumb, even with the skilled Nen users on board. If it were to suddenly vanish... as it did a couple of minutes ago...” Auren explains, not bothering to finish his thought.

“Hisoka... this is private...” Illumi says, his voice icy cold, glaring at the back of the room.

“I’m a little shy... ♣️,” Hisoka says, walking back out of his hiding place, revealing himself looking almost flawless, aside from his missing arm.

Looks like he regained part of his confidence.

“If you want to assassinate me,” Auren says, “you don’t have much time. It won’t take much longer until I become more powerful than you can even comprehend. My growth is only speeding up from this point onwards.”

“... Without my arm... that would be unrealistically difficult... ♦️” Hisoka points out. “I want to request a duel later, after I’ve recovered a little more... you also said you might want to give me a shot at helping me with my arm ❤️?”

Is he seriously asking for help?

“Can’t you simply mold one out of your rubber?” Auren asks him directly.

Or do I misremember? I’ve taken a note that he had the ability to mimic missing limbs with his Hatsu.

“No, not long-term, and even short-term, something like that wouldn’t be the same,” Hisoka replies honestly, a hint of mischievousness on his face. “It would simply be ineffective.”

“This isn’t the issue,” Illumi says. “You are in the way. Leave!”

“Fine...♦️” Hisoka says, moving excruciatingly slowly past Illumi and Auren before finally leaving the small room.

“So... what do you intend to do?” Illumi asks Auren. “Do you intend to reveal what I’ve done?”

“Do you want me to?” Auren asks.

“No,” Illumi says directly, a little louder than before.

“Maybe I should reveal it, though,” Auren says with a slight grin. “Not only are you crippling your brother’s growth as a martial artist and Nen user, if he keeps acting like this, he’ll also grow into a failure of an assassin.”

“Assassins need certainty,” Illumi states. “If we can’t be certain, fleeing is the wise choice.”

“I heard your father assassinated a Troupe member a long time ago,” Auren argues. “Isn’t risk part of the job? You are surprisingly gentle... coddling your brother. That’s your bias speaking. Assassins never have certainty. Will you continuously fail your jobs because there is a tiny chance of failure? Will you refuse to assassinate strong Nen Users? That’s how weaklings and, frankly, second-rate assassins talk. Trust me, if you keep this up, he’ll end up as a very mediocre Nen user and assassin.”

“...” Illumi remains silent. “I will think about it. Why do you care? You are interfering in a family issue.”

“He asked me to,” Auren says. “Is it wrong to help a young kid who asked for my help? His friend also seems to want to help him.”

“Friend... assassins don’t need friends,” Illumi states flatly.

“Then what about you and Hisoka? Now you’re just being silly,” Auren replies. “That’s why I gave you a 9.5. Even I can feel your obsessiveness with Killua. You want him all to yourself or what? That’s a little creepy.... You also mentioned you need the license for a job... that’s a lie, isn’t it? You are here because of him. That pathetic excuse can’t fool me!”

“... Am I wrong to care about him? He will take over the family business. He is special,” Illumi states.

“Then let him grow on his own and don’t turn him into a spoiled puppy!” Auren argues, now a little louder. “Were you treated the way you treat him? Probably not. I wasn’t either. I don’t see you as any weaker or less talented than him. In fact, if you continue this way, he’ll always be weaker than you. How about you finally step up, do the right thing, free him from that damn control, and teach him properly? You can guide him without turning him into a puppet. Why don’t you act like a proper brother for once? Teach him and don’t control him.”

“...”

“...”

“... you raise a valid point,” Illumi replies slowly. “But the answer is still no. Dad and Grandpa are quite busy; they can’t teach Killua yet, and I can’t take him with me on my missions, as they require subterfuge. Also... the consensus is that he needs to learn Nen by himself. If family members teach him, that is considered a sign of weakness. No progress is ever gained that way. While some of us Zoldycks are taught directly, usually, the people who take over the business are encouraged to learn on their own, at least at first. We all agree that the one to lead the family one day should be Killua; that is why we didn’t teach him.”

“Isn’t it good that he left and took the exam then? By now, he knows about Nen,” Auren points out. “Let him learn from whoever the Association chooses.”

“Unacceptable. A pathetic and average Hunter could never teach him effectively. This is all a big mess... partly because of you,” Illumi points out, “your meddling has inadvertently caused this situation. Now it’s all complica—”

“...”

“...”

Suddenly, Illumi stops. He falls silent for a moment, but Auren can see that he is deep in thought.

Finally, he speaks in a calm, almost friendly tone. “You... should take responsibility. You seem to care about Killua, don’t you?”

“While I do care about him, if I think this is going where I think it is, I’m going to have to decline,” Auren rejects him immediately.

“Why?” Illumi asks. “Surely he fits your standards? Don’t tell me the future head of our family does not qualify.”

“Obviously, talent isn’t the issue,” Auren replies. “Because... although it might not appear that way, my students are beholden to me, in more ways than you think. I’ve taught them a lot and provided them with opportunities you can’t even imagine. That comes at a price. I have secrets that can’t be exposed. Do you want me to replace your shackles with shackles of my own? Do you want me to control Killua?”

“We all carry shackles,” Illumi says. “Your earlier arguments have convinced me. Surely Killua deserves to learn Nen... from one of the best.”

“You...” Auren mutters, not understanding Illumi at all.

He just completely shifted his argument. What is he after?

“You have my permission. Take care of him. That’s the only condition on which I’ll leave Killua alone and remove my leash. That, and he needs to get Dad’s approval. After the exam, escort us home. The rest of the family also wants to talk to you.”

“If a family of assassins invites you to their home under the pretense of wanting to see me... I’m not exactly eager to accept,” Auren replies vaguely.

“Do you take us for fools?” Illumi asks. “We might be a family of simple assassins, but we’re well informed. Especially in matters concerning Meteor City and international politics. The talk of a mysterious organization controlling things from the shadows has reached us. In fact, we were among the first to notice. We would never harm or assassinate you... or someone close to you. That would mean the end of our family. I’ll tell you more if you accept my offer.”

Has... Hollow Blade been exposed? I mean... the millions of people that went missing. The resources being exchanged. We’ve gone through the Kakin Empire for a lot of things, but it makes sense that, slowly but surely, we’ve been exposed. It’s been years since we took over a large part of the Yorbian continent. I guess under these circumstances... it had to come out sooner or later. It’s probably an open secret by now.

Of course, the V5 doesn’t react. I’m guessing it’s because of Rakshala’s insanity and her hidden roses.

The world stage probably couldn’t even imagine someone like her, using a small army of Nen users and the threat of nukes to force herself into the picture.

For now... I’ll give him a noncommittal answer. The Zoldycks have no real ambitions beyond their assassination craft. They could be... swallowed up. Even willingly... if given enough respect, full autonomy, and benefits worthy of their reputation.

“I’ll consider it. I don’t want to take care of someone who isn’t willing, though, so it depends on Killua,” Auren states. “How about this... I’ll play your game and visit you. I wanted to do that in the first place. The rest... depends on Killua, and on what you and your family will tell me.”

“Of course,” Illumi replies. “Then we have a deal.”

“I won’t commit to anything permanent, just to make that clear,” Auren says, not willing to give a false impression.

I have nothing to gain from this... though... I wonder. What would happen if I accept? I’ll think about it.

“So how do we resolve this?” Auren asks. “The control.”

“Just take it out yourself; it’s just a small needle. It’s not even powerful enough to control him. It just influences his actions in a certain manner. In any case, I’d like to remain hidden... it’s located in the middle of his forehead. If you use Gyo and take a really close look, you’ll be able to notice it from up close,” Illumi explains.

Sighing, Auren nods. “Fine.”

Leaving the small room, Auren uses En. After a moment of focusing, he finds Neffi, Vanessa, and Leroute on the upper level reserved for examiners only. By now, he can easily recognize Neffi and Vanessa by their Aura, even in a massive crowd.

Spending a relaxed day with his friends, while slowly teaching the completely amazed and curious Leroute, Auren finally makes a decision and once again activates En.

Leaving his suite, he walks towards four distinctive Auras.

It’s time to set him free... I guess.

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